Mental Well-being on Campus - The Forum for Students

Mental Well-being on Campus —
The Forum for You
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                                                                               The online forum
                                                                                  booklet for
                                                                                further reading

                      Mental Well-being on Campus —
                      The Forum for Students
                      A guide for the prevention of mental health issues
                      and for the improvement of mental health literacy

                       A programme by:                         Supported by:

Contents
     Welcome ............................................................................................................ 3

     “Mental Well-being on Campus” in a nutshell ..................................................... 4

     Understanding: Data + facts ............................................................................... 5

     Recognising: Warning signs of a mental crisis ................................................. 13

     Verbalising: Looking for help is difficult ............................................................ 15

     Preventing: Protective factors .......................................................................... 17

     Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 23

     Reading suggestions and links......................................................................... 24

Irrsinnig Menschlich e.V.
Erich-Zeigner-Allee 69–73
04229 Leipzig
Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 341 2228990
info@irrsinnig-menschlich.de
www.irrsinnig-menschlich.de

Welcome
Dear students!

We are incredibly pleased to meet you—be it online since the start of the COVID-19
pandemic, in the lecture hall or via this booklet.

For some of you, a lot of the information provided here is new because the topic of
mental health is still not immediately relevant. Others are concerned with it more
directly—maybe through their friends or family. And others still are right in the middle
of it being personally affected themselves. We would like to welcome you all to
“Mental Well-being on Campus”! We are sure that each of you will find something
useful here, and we are really looking forward to our mutual exchange.

“Mental Well-being on Campus” has been around since 2014. Over 100 universities
and colleges have already taken part in it—even including one in New York. We at
Irrsinnig Menschlich, known in English as Madly Human, have developed this unique
forum here in Leipzig, in Germany. What drives our work?—Well, it is your great
feedback!

Our booklet is structured just like our online forums. As you can see from the
screenshot, our “Mental Well-being on Campus” programme is presented by a team
of two—a professional and a personal expert. Our mission: to inform, to educate and
to establish contact as equal partners with people from the stigmatised group. This
has been proven to be the most effective way to reduce the stigma attached to
mental illness and to fight prejudices and discrimination against people with mental
health issues.

“Mental Well-being on Campus” in a nutshell
Through our programme, we turn the mental crises experienced by those in higher
education into something that can be openly discussed, and we improve the health
literacy of students and staff members. By this, we mean that we aim to reduce
anxieties and prejudices, boost confidence, share knowledge, reduce drop-out rates
and promote academic success. “Mental Well-being on Campus” has a universal and
secondary preventive effect: we seek both to bring about personal change at a
behavioural and a structural level and to give impetus to the promotion of prevention
work and health support in higher education more broadly.

With “Mental Well-being on Campus” we want to

    bring you confidence when pursuing your studies and help you to face life with
     hope and self-belief.
    share our experiences and become smarter together.
    create an atmosphere with you at your educational institution where it is
     normal to speak openly about mental health issues, find solutions together and
     promote mental well-being!

You are shapers of the future! You have an influence on how we as a society deal
with mental health issues and how we take control of our lives with all their highs and
lows. We are all able to overcome difficulties and to grow through our experiences. It
feels good to know this with certainty, right?

About us

Since our foundation in 2000, we at Madly Human have been motivating teenagers
and young adults with our prevention programmes in the field of mental health. We
turn psychological crises in school, in higher education and at the workplace into
something that can be openly discussed. By doing this, we have taken up a highly
relevant issue which has not really been given the necessary attention in society yet,
although it imposes a massive burden on families and leads to personal misery as
well as causing extremely high societal costs. Our programmes’ notable
effectiveness can be attributed especially to the opportunity students have to meet
people who have overcome their own mental health crises. All of our programmes
have been evaluated and awarded many times. The German-language version of our
programme “Mental? So What! Good mental health at school” has been extremely
successful.

Understanding: Data + facts

In good company + Out of line + In the prime of life

Here, you see two (world-)famous personalities who were students once—just like
you.

John Forbes Nash, Nobel Memorial Prize Laureate in Economics. Through the film
“A Beautiful Mind”, which won four Academy Awards, he became known to a
worldwide audience. John Nash, the genius mathematician, was diagnosed with
schizophrenia as a young man. He died in 2015—not of his mental illness, but in a
car crash.

Miriam Meckel. At the age of 31, she was Germany’s youngest professor. Later, she
became Editor-in-Chief of the weekly business news magazine Wirtschaftswoche.
She was one of the first public figures in Germany to speak openly about suffering
from burnout and depression. You can read about this in her moving book Briefe an
mein Leben (Letters to my life) which has been made into a feature film. Today, she
is Director of the Institute for Media and Communication Management at the
University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Miriam Meckel and John Forbes both strongly voiced their opposition to the
stigmatisation, social exclusion and discrimination experienced by people with mental
health issues! Their and our message to you:

Facts about the mental health of students

Researchers have concluded that 1 in 4 students suffer from extreme stress—
women even more so than men!

Signs of this can be a lack of self-esteem, depressive moods and worries.
Constant negative stress and tension exacerbate mental health problems.

Judging from the figures provided by health insurance companies, about 1 in every 6
students has mental health issues.
However, international studies indicate that the number of students affected by
mental health issues is in fact a lot higher than this since relatively few of them seek
help, get support and are diagnosed with a mental health condition.

The most common conditions

Depression, anxiety disorders, addiction. When someone suffers from a mental
illness it influences the whole person: thoughts, emotions, behaviour. The illness
exerts an ever greater control over you. This means you are less and less able to
deal with your everyday life (studies, education, family) until you reach a point where
you cannot cope at all anymore.

What makes it even harder

Mental health problems are more or less invisible.
Depression in particular has many faces—often quite an ordinary one.

     75 percent of all cases of mental illness begin before the age of 24, during
     childhood and adolescence. About one third of students already have mental
     health issues when they start their studies; they have experienced mental ill
     health during their time at school and bring it with them into the next stage of
     their education.

Yet often years pass until those affected look for help or find it. This has to do with
the burden of stigmatisation, prejudice and fear associated with mental illnesses and
facing those affected by them. Unclear healthcare provision structures only make the
situation worse. These factors keep many people from speaking openly about their
mental health problems and getting help early.

P.S. Imagine waking up with heartache! Would you wait
that long to talk about it?

Conclusion

If mental health issues already start as early as childhood and adolescence,
prevention and health promotion in schools and higher education institutions need to
become a given. This is because preventing mental illnesses and seeking help early
can avert permanent unhappiness and can lead to a good and satisfying life!

The consequences of mental health issues during studies
According to self-assessments by students, of all health-related impairments, those
relating to mental health have the greatest impact on academic success.

An above-average number of students with mental health impairments have
difficulties with accomplishing tasks within a certain time frame, e.g. the prescribed
workload per term or the large number of exams.

The fear of rejection, stigmatisation and negative experiences with speaking openly
makes communicating with lecturers, fellow students and administrative staff difficult.

Almost 30 percent of students drop out of colleges and universities each year. Many
of them drop out because of mental health problems!

Watch out: thoughts of suicide are widespread among students, often in combination
with and caused by mental health issues! Less than half of all the students speaking
openly about their own experience of suicidal ideation or serious mental illness have
ever had professional treatment. This is another reason why “Mental Well-being in
Higher Education” exists: we want to give you courage and provide you with
information so that you can support each other and know where to get help.

When it comes to answering the question why students suffer from
     psychological stress, it is important to point out their studies’ role in this. But
     studying per se does not make people ill. Quite a lot of students are already
     displaying symptoms of mental stress when they start their studies. They wish
     they had received information on mental crises when they were still in school.

How mental health issues develop

Many factors play their part in this. There is not one particular reason.

     Every person can experience mental health issues. Mental illness has always
     been a widely observed phenomenon. It is a part of our existence. Depression,
     addiction and anxiety disorders are widespread diseases today.

Here, you see an explanatory model, the diathesis-stress model:

Genetic predisposition: we are predisposed to many diseases. The members of
some families are prone to upset stomachs, while other people tend to take
everything too much to heart. Yet others are repeatedly afflicted with depression.

Psychosocial development: many children grow up experiencing violence, abuse,
neglect, lack of support, the early death of their parents, illness, war, forced
migration, etc. They have to shoulder grown-up responsibilities from a very early age.
This can lead to a lack of confidence in one’s own abilities, negative coping
mechanisms and overstraining oneself.

Vulnerability: some people are more vulnerable than others. Life challenges us: we
experience stress time and time again. Stress and how we deal with it affects our
health. We can become ill if we experience too much negative stress or distress. We
are constantly alert and feel tense. Our motivation decreases, we feel exhausted and
have no resilience left.

If we are constantly tense and not able to recover, our capacity for hard work
decreases further and further. The brain is constantly trying to react to this situation
and to restore a balance. During this process, negative coping mechanisms can
become permanent. Negative thought spirals are typical of depression.

All this together can lead to mental overload. Psychological crises and
conditions can develop.

Another word about stress

Stress is the main trigger for mental health issues. Sure—we need stress; it has a
natural function. The body releases energy enabling us to react to challenges.

For us humans, however, it is important to find a healthy balance between tension
and relaxation.

Typical stressors

    Illness or death in the family.
    Constant arguments and unresolved conflicts with fellow students or
     colleagues. The fear of being excluded from the community!
    Stigmatisation, racism, discrimination. Various factors can cause people to be
     prejudiced: mental health, sexual orientation, gender, skin colour.

P.S. Your studies provide a good testing ground for finding the individual stress
management and working methods that suit you. They are important for a worthwhile
life and especially for your professional development.

            What triggers negative stress in you and what do you do to restore
            your balance?

Recognising: Warning signs of a mental crisis
From time to time, everybody experiences rough patches in life. Worries and
anxieties are a part of our day-to-day existence. If these warning signs last for
several days or even weeks, you should consult a doctor—better early than late.

Typical coping strategies

Self-medication

Many people consume substances like drugs, alcohol or tablets in an attempt to get a
grip on negative feelings and difficulties like pain, inner restlessness, tension,
insomnia or lack of concentration. Such substances have either a stimulating or a
calming effect on the nervous system. Additionally, there are behavioural addictions
like addiction to media, sex or work. These solutions come with an extremely high
cost: the brain gets damaged, there are other long-term physical and mental health
consequences, an addiction develops, families break apart, etc.

P.S. Do yourself a huge favour—make the most of your life, and
avoid drugs.

Happy face

We humans often try as hard as we can to keep up appearances and to put on a
happy face. This costs us a lot of energy which we actually need for our recovery.

Self-imposed isolation

Many people withdraw and hope that their problems will solve themselves with time.
However, this can prolong the symptom duration and could worsen the situation.

Self-harming

Self-harming acts as an outlet for unbearable feelings like inner emptiness, inner
pressure, tension or inner chaos. Sometimes people hurt themselves because they
hate themselves and want to punish themselves, or as a cry for help.

Suicidal thoughts

The main reasons for suicidal ideation are feelings of hopelessness, lack of social
support, mental health issues and a personal tendency towards depressive thinking.
Other reasons are academic pressure, stress and a compulsion to do well.

P.S. There is an urgent need for suicide prevention programmes at educational
institutions. If your own college or university doesn’t already have one, you could start
a campaign.

Verbalising: Looking for help is difficult
The first step towards help is often the most difficult one. It demands the most from
us. This is why it is also the most important one.

We will probably take many smaller steps after that. We might take a step forward
and another one back. With patience, persistence, support and intent, we will make
progress! Try dividing a problem into small chunks. Many people who have tried this
approach say that it even helped them unearth previously unknown resources.

Why looking for help is so difficult

One of the main reasons for this is the stigma attached both to mental health issues
and the people affected by them. When it comes to showing our “happy face”, the
face other people see in public, we humans are often brilliant actors. With the energy
we put into this we could probably operate power plants!

Why do we behave like this? There are many reasons.

    Because we are ashamed and do not understand ourselves.
    Because we are insecure, because it hurts, because we do not want to be
     weak and because we do not want to be a burden to anybody.
    Because we live in a meritocracy: for some, the idea of being a ‘non-achiever’
     is unthinkable and causes strong feelings of embarrassment.
    Because we are afraid of perhaps having to live in a psychiatric clinic for the
     rest of our lives, of being medicated and never recovering again.
    Because many people still think that people with mental health issues are
     unpredictable, violent, responsible for their illness and incompetent, and that
     they lack discipline and self-control.
    Because we are afraid that other people will cease to accept, value and love
     us, and that we will stop playing a useful part in the community.
    Because we are afraid that we will stop being part of the community and
     that we will experience isolation!

Conclusion

Mental crises and conditions are normal. In most cases, the consequences of mental
health issues are worse than the illness itself. But it does not have to be like this!
Speak about it, educate others and seek help early enough.

Preventing: Protective factors

Making provisions for difficult times during the good times.

During the good times, have a look at the people, things, surroundings and hobbies
that do your heart and soul good, make you happy and carry you through hard times.
For many people, it is belonging to a good community, it is movement, inspiration,
relaxation and a good sleep, and, of course, it is also knowing where to find help. If
you practice making provisions during the good times, you will be able to use them in
bad times.

      Structure your daily life as a student so that it stays manageable.
      Accept the limits of your ability to cope with stress.
      Speak about this with other students.
      During times of crisis, do not make important decisions about things like
       dropping out, changing courses, etc.
    Start to feel sympathy with yourself and treat yourself carefully.

P.S. Often, we are our own best critics.

Time to put together your own Mental Health First Aid Kit.

Think of your time as a student as an opportunity: no matter what is going on in
your life at the moment—we hope we can give you a sense of direction, help you to
feel optimistic and possibly make you smile. We also wish you good health, wherever
this booklet finds you.

Keep on moving: research has shown that getting enough movement, in the open
air if possible, is very effective for treating mild and moderate depression or anxiety!

Get involved: give time to something that is bigger than yourself—a good cause, a
community, the environment, your family, etc. When we give something of ourselves,
life gives us something in return. We feel connected and satisfied. Life makes more
sense.

Relax: computers and suchlike demonstrate wonderfully how inventive and
determined humans can be. Unfortunately, they often keep us from experiencing
“real life” and from getting in contact with others. It is a form of stimulation and
distraction that can lead to addiction. Technology is awesome, but, in order to really
turn on in life, we have to turn off our electronic devices now and again.

Keep good company: we cannot choose our family—but we can choose our friends!
People with a solid social network are much less prone to stress-related disorders.
By this, we mean a handful of real friends, not 200 Instagram contacts. Friends are
there for us and they listen to us when we have issues to deal with. This is a small
safety net for bad times.

Sleep well: make your bed a nice place. Perform bedtime rituals, do not let the smart
phone come with you into your bedroom. And do not think of sleep as a means of
boosting your capacity to perform well! Sleep should simply be there to let you get
some rest.

Getting help: Contact persons

A mental illness affects the whole person: emotions, thoughts and behaviour. This is
why it is so hard for those affected to understand what is wrong with them, to find
words for it and to confide in someone. They are in a state of confusion, chaos, fear,
isolation. For people who want to help but have never experienced mental health
issues themselves, it is difficult to imagine being in this state, which then also makes
it difficult to understand what’s happening. Many people want to help, but they are
understandably afraid of doing something wrong, which leads to them doing nothing
at all.

The good news! There is not much you can do wrong—apart from doing nothing at
all. What people in psychological crises need the most are orientation, structure and
relationships. We as helpers are innately very well-equipped for making this happen.

      We have eyes to see, ears to hear, open hands to offer help or comfort
      with a hug, and a voice to ask: how can I help you? What do you need?

First aid in Germany

Emergency telephone number: 112 in case of acute psychological crisis, such as
suicidal behaviour, for instance.

Crisis hotline: you can call this number 0800 111 0 111 / 0800 111 0 222

Counselling centres at your college or university:
https://www.studentenwerke.de/de/beratungsangebote

In your place of residence: the website of your local government public health
department offers an overview of the support services available for people in
psychological crises.

Find a (foreign language) therapist:
https://www.psychotherapiesuche.de/pid/search (“Behandlung in Fremdsprache”)

Support groups: http://www.nakos.de/informationen/basiswissen/selbsthilfegruppen/

Peer support: https://www.uniklinik-ulm.de/psychiatrie-und-psychotherapie-
ii/aktuelles-veranstaltungen/aktuelles/detailansicht/news/upsides-bessere-
unterstuetzung-fuer-menschen-mit-schweren-psychischen-erkrankungen-durch-
genesungsbeg.html

Digital mental health care: there are now many services on offer. They cannot
replace therapy, but they can provide support when, for example, someone has to
wait a long time for a therapy placement or when they need help to avoid a relapse
after undergoing therapy.

Multilingual, evidence-based website on depression: www.ifightdepression.com

Conclusion
Well, we’ve reached the end of our journey, we’ve stopped at all the stations and
we’ve acquired new views and insights.

Stand your ground and do not forget: no matter how old we are, we humans can
always develop, change and improve ourselves, support each other and get
involved—preferably in good company!

We at Madly Human offer you our heartfelt best wishes for an exciting period of
study in excellent health.

Reading suggestions and links
More information about Madly Human and “Mental Well-being on Campus”:
https://www.irrsinnig-menschlich.de/psychisch-fit-studieren/.

The Origins of Happiness, The Science of Well-Being over the Life Course, E.A.
Clark et al. (2018). Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Resilienz: Wie man Krisen übersteht und daran wächst. Matthew Johnstone
(2015). München: Verlag Antje Kunstmann.

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